The Chinese who stay near the border with North Korea are a worried lot because of the possible fallouts of a nuclear war. china is an ally but, any nuclear attack by North Korea could have repercussions and the effects would be felt by the neighbors.
The Sun UK reports that China has published a nuke attack survival guide to explain to the people precautions that they should take in case the worst happens.
Details have been given in the Jilin Daily newspaper, and it lists out actions that the people must take to minimize the ill effects of nuclear radiation and survive the attack.
Magnitude of the problem
The sense of panic can be easily understood because of the latest testing of a missile by North Korea that has added to the escalating tension in the Korean Peninsula. Jilin Daily is a state-run paper that caters to the 23-million plus population of the province of Jilin located near the 1,400 km (870 miles) border with North Korea.
The guide explains various aspects of nuclear weapons and how they differ from traditional ones without taking names of a possible source of the nuclear attack.
The destructive power of a nuclear bomb is immense, and it could destroy designated targets as well as places in the vicinity. Hence, even though China is a close ally of North Korea, the fears are genuine.
Is a war on the horizon?
The United States is engaged in conducting joint military drills with South Korea, and North Korea has warned that such actions could lead to direct confrontation and war. China fears that a direct conflict could lead to a collapse of the North Korean regime leading to an influx of refugees.
President Donald Trump has already warned North Korea that it would face dire consequences in case it tried to launch a nuclear attack. China is not in favor of any military intervention and wants the warring factions to halt the war of words.
The world has seen the scenario after the nuclear attack in Hiroshima in 1945. The blast destroyed more than 80 percent of buildings in the city and killed more than 70,000 people. No one in his right mind would want to see such devastation again. Therefore, world leaders must impress upon Pyongyang the need to go for a peaceful solution. Aggression will lead to large-scale casualties on both the sides and will destroy assets that would take ages to rebuild. Kim Jong-un wanted to prove a point which he has done by testing ICBMs that could strike the United States mainland, and he should now hang up the arms.